PITTSBURGH  The shortstop play of veteran journeyman Ronny Cedeno over the past month and a half could have the Padres re-evaluating their future plans at the position.

Cedeno was signed to a minor league contract in early August when it became apparent that Everth Cabrera was going to be hit with a 50-game suspension stemming from Major League Baseball’s investigation into the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs by Miami’s now-defunct Biogenesis Clinic.

At the time, the 26-year-old, switch-hitting Cabrera was the Padres most valuable player. He was hitting .283 with a .355 on-base percentage while leading the National League with 37 steals. The Padres representative at the All-Star Game also had four homers, 31 RBIs and 54 runs scored in 95 games.

Cedeno, 30, has started at short in 29 of the Padres last 39 games – including the past 20 straight – and is hitting .324 with a .365 on-base percentage with two homers, nine RBIs and 12 runs scored in 102 at-bats. His defense has been close to Cabrera’s.

Cedeno is a free agent at the end of the season.

But Cedeno says he wouldn’t mind staying with the Padres. And the Padres sound like they’d like to have him back.

“Ronny is making a statement,” Padres manager Bud Black said Tuesday night. “We like him. This is a player we’re thinking about moving forward.

“Ronny has been making plays every day. He’s playing really well at a premium position.”

“I love it here,” said Cedeno, who signed with the Padres after being released by the Houston Astros. “I feel like part of a family here, it is a really good group of guys. It’s very important for me to finish strong and play hard.

“I don’t know what is going to happen next year, but I know I am happy being here.”

Hmmm . . .

It’s hard to tell how Cedeno fits in.

With Alexi Amarista and Logan Forsythe, the Padres have developed some depth behind whoever is the starting shortstop.

But, the Padres aren’t overly happy with Cabrera at the moment. Not only is he arbitration-eligible while coming off suspension, Cabrera rejected Padres requests that he go to the club’s training facilities in Arizona or the Dominican Republic to continue working out after he was suspended.

Plus, he’s now represented by Scott Boras.

Before the PED-linked suspension, Cabrera probably had one of the highest trade values among the Padres. But the Padres had no option at his position. Now they have an option, but how far has Cabrera’s market value tumbled?

Rookie marks

Second baseman Jedd Gyorko’s 19 homers are the second-most ever by a Padres rookie to the 24 first baseman Nate Colbert hit during the Padres inaugural season of 1969.

Gyorko hit his 19th homer Tuesday night in Pittsburgh before a number of friends and family members who had driven up from Gyorko’s childhood home of Morgantown, W. Va. – prompting Black to comment Tuesday: “The West Virginia Gyorkos travel well.”

Going into Wednesday night, Gyorko led the Padres with 11 home runs and 26 RBIs in 50 games since the All-Star break. He had three home runs and eight RBIs over his last 10 games.

Gyorko trails Atlanta’s Evan Gattiis for the major league lead in homers by a rookie. Gyorko’s 25 doubles are tied for third among major league rookies giving him a major league-leading 44 extra-base hits among rookies.

Notable

--The Padres 30-10 record in their first 40 games at PNC Park is the third-best record in the history of major league baseball for a visiting team at the new ballpark of team. The Minnesota Twins were 32-8 in their first 40 games against the Washington Senators at what became RFK Stadium. And the Phillies were 30-9-1 in their first 40 games against the Mets at Shea Stadium.

--The pain returned to Yonder Alonso’s right hand Monday night after he took batting practice in the cage. “I’m still trying to make it happen, but it didn’t feel well after I hit,” said Alonso, who said he will continue to try to play in 2013. “It might not work out this season. What’s going to be horrible is that it’s going to feel great a month after the season ends.”